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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Wednesday Whimsy - Interview with Donna Winters

Lilybits, not large, but in charge!

Interview with Donna Winters: Adventures with Vinnie

Why, I think this blog is going to the dogs lately! But I am pleased to welcome author Donna Winters for an interview concerning her new book about a rescue dog, Adventures with Vinnie. Rescue animals need to stick together!

How did you
get Vinnie?

We were looking
for an older shelter dog and searched online at PetFinder.com. Vinnie came up
as being available from a shelter in our region, so we investigated further. At
the shelter site, a video was posted showing Vinnie to be a very affectionate
fellow. We fell in love with him and made arrangements to visit the shelter
with our other dog to see if the two could get along.

Why do you
like rescue dogs?

Rescue dogs are
so incredibly grateful to have a home. One of our vets called them “super
bonded” to their adoptive family.

I was a rescue cat and I was very grateful at first, but then I got spoiled.

What was
special about Vinnie?

It would take a
book to answer that question. Oh, howconvenient. I just wrote that book and
it’s called

Adventures with Vinnie.
In short, he was the best and worst of the canine species: incredibly
affectionate with his family; aggressive toward newcomers to our home;
difficult to keep confined; loyal enough to come back within moments of having
run away (well, sometimes).

Please tell us
about your book and where we can find it.

Here’s the back
cover blurb, which pretty much tells it in a nutshell:

Handsome. Affectionate. In need of a forever home. And we
were in need of another rescue dog. Thus began our Adventures with Vinnie.

From his first day to his last, the only predictable thing
about Vinnie was his unpredictability. Loving and loyal, an escape artist to
rival Houdini, and a genuinely comical fellow, his antics will make you laugh,
give you a fright (but only for a moment), and melt your heart.

Donna Winters lives with her husband and two rescued canines
in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She has nineteen books in print including
fifteen historical romances, one historical novel, one contemporary romance,
and two nonfiction titles. Learn more about her and her books, and connect with
her at social media sites, by visiting at Great Lakes Romances.

Book Giveaway!

Donna is willing to give away either a paperback or Kindle
copy of her book to someone who comments on the post telling in a couple of
sentences about a favorite pet he/she has had, or has met at a friend’s,
relative’s, or neighbor’s home. Please be sure to leave
your email address and add mine (bigwaterpub at gmail dot com) to your contact
list so my winner notification won’t get caught in your spam filter.

20 comments
:

Kathy and Lilybits,Thank you so much for having me here to tell the world about my Adventures with Vinnie. He would be forever grateful, too, knowing that all the earnings from his story will go to animal shelters. God bless!

Well two dogs: Bob saved my mother's life when she fell down the hay mow, broke her pelvis and was unconscious. Daddy was looking for her but Bob barked and stayed with her until he found them. He was a mixed collie, not too small. Daddy used to send him out looking for me on the farm (lost with a book). Bob wouldn't hassle me but slowly and surely he would shepard me home. Mikey was my most recent dog. After I'd been gone for six weeks (when my grandson was born), my husband kept sending me warmer clothing. When I got home I guess Mikey thought I had died. He jumped up and put his paws on my shoulders (usually not his welcome mode). I had to sit down while he licked my face. I've never had such a welcome home in my entire life and I'm 74 this year. I miss them both.

Love this post! Would love to win Adventures with Vinnie! I had always wanted a Norwegian Elkhound. I finally got one several years ago. I named him Lobo and he was a one owner dog. Whenever I'd take him out, he'd stay right with me, if I stopped he sat on my foot. One time I had to walk off with the kids and my husband held his leash. When I got back, he told me I had to take him with me. He wouldn't sit still, he kept looking around. He was unhappy without me! He got an aggressive cancer a few years ago and I had to put him to sleep, but he was the best dog ever. When I was a teenager, my grandmother had cows and a horse. My mom would mow the grass and I would rake it and put it in a bucket to take to the horse. I was trying to get close enough to pet it. I never did get that horse to come to me, but I ended up with three cows, two calves, and a bull as friends lol. The bull would sit on the hillside and I'd walk up to him and he'd throw his head back for me to put it in my lap to scratch his neck. One of the cows liked the apples off the tree. I'd pick them off and feed them to her. I dropped one of the apples and it bounced down the hill. The cow bounced down the hill after it. I told her I had a whole tree-full, she didn't need to chase that one, but she did! Thanks for the story about Vinnie. I can't wait to read it!tscmshupe [at] pemtel [dot] net

What fabulous stories you have told in your comment. Your hound story warmed my heart. We have seen a lot of "separation anxiety" in our adopted dogs. Sometimes they mellow out of it and with others, it remains strong till the end, as with Vinnie.

You must be an animal "whisperer" by the sounds of your cow and bull story. How many people could claim to have the kind of relationship you did with those bovines?

We have a new kitten, Bosley, make that Miss Bosley, after a trip to the vet revealed her identity. She was meowing loudly on our front porch a few days before Christmas. I had no idea how she got there. I felt angry considering someone may have dumped her. But I also felt compassion for the tiny bit of bones and fur with the biggest thing about her being her desperate cry. I fixed up up box lined with a fleece jacket for her comfort. Thanks to God the weather was mild for a few days so she could stay outside while I decided what to do. It all seemed such bad timing since we were scheduled for a week long vacation right after Christmas. I asked friends if they might take her or at least board her for our vacation time. At first it seemed a possibility, but that fell through. So my husband prepared a bathroom to keep her in until it was time to board her at the vets.Skip forward a month to now when she has the run of the house and is right now sleeping in my lap. She brings toys to my husband to get his attention. Considering the extreme cold, even in the South this winter, Miss Bosley found her home in the St.Nick of time!

Bless your heart for taking in Bosley and making her the "Miss Bosley" of your home and heart. What a story! She has certainly found the best Christmas gift ever in her new home, and she has given one to you as well--herself and her affection. I hope you and the new "Miss" will have many happy years together.Blessings,Donna Winters

My family has had so many pets that I've lost count but they were all very special, each in his/her own way. Dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, lizards, aquarium pets, a horse (yep, we considered him a pet, too) hermit crabs, you name it, we might have had it. Now I have two dogs and three cats and they keep me busy all the time. I currently write a monthly column called the Pet Corner for a local paper. I'm off to buy your book. Thanks for donating to shelters.

Lucy,Thanks for stopping by with a rundown on the pets that have become a part of your family over the years. I definitely think horses are pets (though I've never had one). Here, in the rural U.P., neighbors often keep horses as "pasture pets," not necessarily to ride.

You are way ahead of me, writing a monthly column for a newspaper on pets. Adventures with Vinnie is my only writing on pets. He was such a character that when he did outrageous things, I had to write them down. Since he had spent nearly six months in shelters prior to moving in with us, I thought it was a fitting legacy to donate my income from his story to shelters that do the hard work of caring for, and rehoming pets that have fallen on hard times.

Wendy,Thanks for stopping by with your story of Jasmine. The beauty of the pets in our lives is their bonding with us, and us with them. That also leaves us vulnerable to pain when they pass on. So then we cherish the memories as you do with Jasmine. Blessings to you!Donna Winters

Sally, Janice, Lucy and Wendy-Thank you so much for sharing your stories and/or your love of animals. I so appreciate your stopping by my blog to read the interview with Donna and taking time to leaveyour wonderful comments.

Welcome to Kathleen Rouser & Cat!

This is where we chat about the good, my cat, Lilybits, and the inspirational. You'll find (we hope) humor, encouragement and a chance to learn about Christian authors and their writing. We're so glad you came to visit!

About Me

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Kathleen Rouser has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could read. She desires to create characters, who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. Previously a homeschool mom, she more recently has been a college student and is sometimes a mild-mannered dental assistant by day. Along with her sassy tail-less cat, she lives in the Midwest with her hero and husband of 33 years, who not only listens to her stories, but also cooks for her.